Pant cuff retaining device and method for adjusting the length of a pant cuff

ABSTRACT

A pant cuff device designed to hold the cuff a pant leg away from the ground. The pant cuff device is comprised of two separate magnetic bodies designed to hold a cuff or pant leg away from the ground. The magnetic bodies are affixed proximate to a wearer&#39;s ankle to provide a cuff that is substantially parallel to and above the ground. Each magnetic body is magnetically attractable to a second magnetic body.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to magnetic removable pant clips suitable to retain a pant cuff. More particularly, the magnetic removable pant clips of the present invention are designed to hold a folded or cuffed pant leg in place until removal of one of the aforementioned magnetic clips by a user.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Clothing is generally mass produced in a variety of sizes. Most casual clothing can be purchased in a range of sizes, and requires no alteration. On the other hand, some more formal clothing is manufactured to be tailored in order to more accurately fit the end wearer of the garment. For example, slacks, both men's and women's, are made with very long legs so that end wearers of different heights having roughly the same waist size can purchase slacks and have the leg length altered before wearing them. These alterations are effectively permanent because in order to have the slacks resized, the wearer must be return to the tailor, take a re-measurement, and if sufficient fabric is left (e.g., in a cuff), have the legs length altered.

Although generally acceptable, permanent alteration does not address the different contexts in which a pair of slacks may be worn. Different styles of shoes effectively change the desired length of the slacks. For example, high heels require longer slack legs than flat shoes. In that case, the slack legs are either made for heels (and therefore are too long for flat shoes), or they are made for flat shoes (and therefore too short for heels). In most instances, the end wearer will have the slacks tailored to be longer rather than shorter, and adjust the pant length with a temporary cuff (e.g. rolling the pants or inserting safety pins) when wearing flat shoes.

Further, children's clothing is quickly outgrown. Thus, hemming, altering, or folding up sleeves, pant legs, etc., of children's clothing is often used since children's clothing is often purchased with the intent of providing “room to grow.” However, folding or other altering may not always be visually pleasing, nor does it always provide the capability of holding the cuff of the pant leg securely in place.

Various devices are used in conjunction with folding a pant cuff to raise the level of the pant leg. For example, it is known to attach a safety pin to a piece of clothing to hold it up. However, such pins are not very attractive and can be difficult to attach if multiple folds or thick fabric is involved.

Holding and retaining a pant cuff above at a desired height provides a number of benefits. For example, retaining a pant cuff at a desired height above ground level makes it safer to walk over slick terrain, prevents the cuff from absorbing water, and keeps the pant leg properly draped when sitting. In addition to these benefits, another important function is holding the pant cuff above the level of a shoe bottom to prevent fraying, dragging or making contact with the ground.

There have been described in the prior art various devices and methods to cuff a pant leg. However, all of these devices and methods have setbacks and shortcomings. For example, the use of a clipping device to keep pant cuff or pant leg in place has been described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,829,847 to O'Shea et al. (the “O'Shea patent”). The O'Shea patent discloses a pant cuff protector for keeping a pant leg off the ground, wherein at least one of the straps designed to keep the pant leg off the ground is attached to a shoe. Importantly, the O'Shea patent does not, however, teach a mechanism or device designed to secure the front portion of the pant cuff or pant leg from touching the ground. The O'Shea patent discloses a device that directly affixes a pant leg or pant cuff around a person's shoe. As a consequence, the device disclosed and claimed in O'Shea holds a cuff of a pant down, so that the pant cuff does not rise above the shoe level. In contradistinction, the present invention is directed to a magnetic device that allows the user to roll, hike or fold a pant cuff or pant leg at any distance above ground or shoe level independent of any connection to the shoe. Consequently, and unlike the device described in the O'Shea patent, the end user can cuff both the front and rear portions of the pant leg. Furthermore, the present invention does not utilize a strap attachable to the heel or other portion of a shoe. Instead the present invention is free from straps, which permits the user to control the distance above the ground the pant cuff or leg may be rolled, folded or hiked.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to magnetic removable pant clips suitable to retain a pant cuff. More particularly, the magnetic removable pant clips of the present invention are designed to hold a folded or cuffed pant leg in place until removal of one of the aforementioned magnetic clips. For purposes of describing the invention, the term “magnetic bodies” and “magnetic clips” will be used interchangeably with one another. Consequently, it would be helpful if the pant cuff could be conveniently maintained above ground level until such time as an individual elected to remove the pant cuff. Thus, there is a need for a pant cuffing device that is readily affixed and removed, easy to handle, durable, reliable, inexpensive, aesthetically pleasing and unobtrusive. The present invention has met those needs by providing a readily removable magnetic clip that is suitable for cuffing pant legs.

The pant cuff or pant leg retaining device substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in doing so provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of keeping pant cuffs and legs in place above the ground at a height controlled by the user's preference.

The present invention relates to a magnetic clip or clipping device. More particularly, it relates to a magnet clipping device especially suitable for magnetically holding a pant cuff above ground and/or shoe level. The magnetic clip consists of two magnets which are affixed to each other by the user for clipping pant cuffs or pant legs. Generally, the pant cuff or pant leg is folded, or rolled up and the magnetic clips are affixed to opposing sides of the pant leg. Of course, this invention encompasses any manner suitable of elevating the pant leg for application of the magnetic clipping device. The folded or rolled up pant leg is held up due to the magnetic attraction between the two magnetic bodies.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which disclose several embodiments of the invention. It is to be understood, however, that the drawing is designed for the purpose of illustration only, and not as a definition of the limits of the invention. Reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like parts are given like reference numbers and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of two magnetic bodies without a pant cuff;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a pant cuff protector in accordance with the present invention showing a pant cuff held therein by two magnetic bodies;

FIG. 3 is a front view of a pant cuff protector in accordance with the present invention showing a pant cuff held therein by four magnetic bodies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention relates to a magnetic clip or clipping device, suitable for temporarily cuffing pant legs at an end wearer's desired height above the tailored level of the pants. In one embodiment the pant cuff formed by the magnetic clipping device will be substantially parallel to the ground. In addition, the pant cuff can optionally be above the ground level when the user is wearing shoes.

An exemplary embodiment of the magnetic clipping device in accordance with the present invention comprises at least one first magnetic body securable about a person's ankle and at least one second magnetic body, magnetically attractable to the first magnetic body for holding a pant cuff. The combination of the two magnetic bodies forms a magnetic clip that holds a pant cuff in place. The magnetic bodies may be clear, the same color of the pants or may be customized to fit the user's personal preference. The magnetic bodies may also be of various designs, shapes, geometric figures, and are not limited to a particular shape or color.

In another exemplary embodiment, the first magnetic clip is accompanied by third and fourth magnetic bodies attached around different portions of the pant cuff forming a second magnetic clip. The two magnetic clips work together to hold the pant cuff or pant leg above ground level.

An exemplary method of restraining or holding a pant cuff above ground in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of rolling, folding or hiking a pant cuff above the ground, securing a first magnetic body at or near a person's ankle, and magnetically clipping a second magnetic body onto the pant cuff over the first magnetic body to form a magnetic clip.

Another exemplary method of restraining or holding a pant cuff above a desired level in accordance with the present invention comprises the steps of rolling, folding or hiking a pant cuff above the ground, securing a first and second magnetic body, thereby forming one magnetic clip, and affixing a second and third magnetic body forming a second magnetic clip at a different location around of the same pant cuff to further secure the pant cuff above the desired level.

It is an advantage of the present invention that it prevents the entire portion of the pant cuff—both front and rear—from draping to the level of the ground or shoe bottom. Especially when the pant leg is cut long so as to drape heavily over the shoes of the person wearing it, holding the cuff away from the ground prevents the pant cuff from being dragged through dirt and water and from being trod upon by the shoe heel. At the same time, it prevents and reduces fraying of pant cuffs as the pant cuffs do not drag, fray or get wet from the ground.

It is an additional advantage of the present invention that the surfaces of the magnetic bodies that clip the pant cuff above the ground level are smooth, non-lacerating, non-snagging, non-abrasive and durable. Furthermore, the magnetic bodies are portable, reusable, convenient to carry, discrete and are not limited to a particular set of pant legs or pant cuffs. It is yet another advantage of the present invention that the magnetic bodies allow the user to freely and conveniently change the aesthetic look of the user's pant legs. The pant cuff can be disengaged with a simple sweeping or hooking motion of a finger and can be re-closed or reused at a different time for the same or different pair of pant legs or pant cuffs. Moreover, the surfaces that clip the pant cuff are self-aligning, requiring no particular attention or care from the user.

The present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

With reference to FIG. 1, two magnetic bodies in accordance with the present invention are generally shown. The first magnetic body 2 has a thickness of between approximately 0.15 cm and 1.5 cm, a height of between approximately 2 cm and 8 cm and a width of between approximately 0.5 and 3.0 cm. The first magnetic body is substantially flat. The second magnetic body 3 has a thickness of between approximately 0.1 cm and 3.5 cm, a height of between approximately 0.5 cm and 4 cm and a width of between approximately 0.5 cm and 4 cm. Of course, other sizes can be readily envisioned by those skilled in the art. In addition, it will be understood that the magnetic bodies can be a variety of shapes, such as circular, rectangular, triangular or square.

The magnetic bodies 2 and 3 may be formed of any suitable magnetically conductive material. Magnetic bodies 2 and 3 are comprised of magnetic poles of alternating polarity for generating magnetic-adhering faces. The magnetic bodies 2 and 3 are mutually magnetically attracted. In one exemplary embodiment, the first magnetic body 2 and the second magnetic body 3 comprise permanent magnets. A permanent magnet is understood by those skilled in the art to be a magnet which is a magnet that retains its magnetism after being removed from a magnetic field. In yet another embodiment the first magnetic body 2 is comprised of a permanent magnetic body, while the second is comprised of a ferromagnetic material such as, for example, iron or steel. In still another embodiment, the first magnetic body 2 is comprised of a ferromagnetic material such as, for example, iron or steel, while the second magnetic body is comprised of a permanent magnetic body. Thus, in one embodiment the first magnetic body is a permanent magnet and the second magnetic body is comprised of a metal capable of exhibiting magnetic properties.

As shown in FIG. 2, a pant leg 4 is rolled up or folded above the shoe level 5 to the user's ankle 6. As shown in FIG. 3, the first magnetic body 2 is affixed by the user underneath or inside the rolled-up or folded portion of the pant leg 7. Now turning back to FIG. 2, the second magnetic body 3 is then affixed by the user to the outside or outer portion of the pant leg 9 by aligning the second magnetic body 3 to the first magnetic body 2. In this embodiment, the second magnetic body 3 is comprised of a metal, such as iron or steel. The pant leg 9 will be held between the first magnetic body 2 and the second magnetic body 3. The combination of magnetic bodies 2 and 3 form a magnetic clip 10. In one embodiment, the second magnetic body 3 is a stylized design such as, for example, a star, a heart, or a sun, made of steel or iron.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of underneath or inside the rolled-up or folded portion of the pant leg 4 in accordance with one of the embodiments of the present invention. A first magnetic body 2 attached to the inner portion of a rolled up pant leg 7. It will be understood by those of skill in the art, that multiple magnetic clips 10 may be affixed to the pant leg 4 as necessary. For example, three magnetic clips 10 may be used to secure a pant cuff 9 above the shoe level 5. In one embodiment, only one magnetic clip 10 is suitable to hold a cuff of a pant cuff 9 above ground level 5.

When it is desired to open the pant cuff protector, the user may grasp and pull rearward, downward or sideways, either of the two magnets comprising the magnetic clip 10. After the magnetic clip 10 has been removed, the pant cuff 9 will fall open.

The foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limiting thereof. Although a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have been described, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims. Therefore, it is to be understood that the foregoing is illustrative of the present invention and is not to be construed as limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications to the disclosed embodiments, as well as other embodiments, are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. The invention is defined by the following claims, with equivalents of the claims to be included therein. 

1. A pant leg assembly comprising: a pant leg having an extending portion comprising at least one fold, wherein a portion of the pant leg is folded inside upon itself to make a pant cuff; at least one first magnetic member positioned inside said pant leg; and at least one second magnetic member positioned outside said pant leg; wherein said at least one second magnetic member is magnetically attractable to said at least one first magnetic member, wherein said at least one first and second magnetic members are positioned to hold said pant cuff; and wherein said at least one first magnetic member and said at least one second magnetic member are removably attached to an article of clothing and are therefore independent of a specific location on said pant cuff.
 2. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein said first magnetic member is comprised of a permanent magnet.
 3. The pant leg assembly device of claim 2, wherein said second magnetic member is comprised of a ferromagnetic material.
 4. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein said first magnetic member has a thickness of between approximately 0.15 cm and 1.5 cm, a height of between approximately 2 cm and 8 cm and a width of between approximately 0.5 and 3.0 cm.
 5. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein said first magnetic member is substantially flat.
 6. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein the second magnetic body has a thickness of between approximately 0.1 cm and 3.5 cm, a height of between approximately 0.5 cm and 4 cm and a width of between approximately 0.5 cm and 4 cm.
 7. The pant leg assembly device of claim 6, wherein said second magnetic member is substantially flat.
 8. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein said first and second magnetic members are comprised of permanent magnets.
 9. The pant leg assembly device of claim 1, wherein said first magnetic member is comprised of a ferromagnetic material and said second magnetic member is comprised of a permanent magnet.
 10. A pant cuffing device comprising: a magnetic clip comprising: a first magnetic member; and a second magnetic member, wherein said first and second magnetic members are magnetically attractable, wherein said first and second magnetic members are positioned to hold a pant cuff between said members, and wherein said first magnetic member and said second magnetic member are removably attached to an article of clothing and are therefore independent of a specific location on said pant cuff.
 11. The pant cuffing device of claim 10, wherein multiple magnetic clips are used on the pant cuff.
 12. A method for temporarily altering the length of a pant leg comprising: (a) providing a pant leg; (b) folding at least a portion of said pant leg upon itself to create a folded portion, said folded portion having an inward side facing the skin of a wearer and an outward side facing away from the skin of said wearer; (c) providing at least one temporary cuffing element comprising an outer portion, and an inner portion, wherein the outer portion comprises at least one first magnetic member and the inner portion comprises at least one second magnetic member; and aligning said at least one first and second magnetic members to temporarily secure the folded portion of said pant leg, wherein said at least one first magnetic member and said at least one second magnetic member are removably attached to an article of clothing and are therefore independent of a specific location on said pant cuff. 